COVINGTON, Ky. — Attorney General Russell Coleman, R-Ky., has reached a $110 million settlement with Kroger after suing the grocer and claiming its pharmacies fueled Kentucky’s opioid crisis.
Coleman sued Kroger in Feb. 2024, alleging the company pumped what equated to 444 million doses of opioids into Kentucky over a 13-year period. The lawsuit said Kroger and its more than 100 pharmacies were responsible for more than 11% of all opioid pills dispensed in the state between 2006 and 2019. It was filed in Bullitt County Circuit Court in Shepherdsville, 20 miles south of Louisville.
“For over a decade, Kroger tragically fed the flames of the drug addiction fire that rages across every county of our commonwealth,” Coleman said. “But this devastation isn’t the end of the story. Kentucky is resilient, and we get back up, no matter how many times we are knocked down.”
“Today, with $110 million invested in recovery efforts in Kentucky, Kroger has agreed to be part of the solution.”
Kroger said in a statement that it hopes the settlement funds are used to combat opioid abuse. The company pushed back against the allegations that it lacked training or guardrails for filling opioid prescriptions, calling the accusations “patently false.”
The company said it has “long provided associates throughout the pharmacy with robust training, as well as tools to assist pharmacists in their professional judgment.”
Coleman made the announcement at Life Learning Center in Covington, which offers a range of education and care services for at-risk individuals.
“I remain deeply impressed by the attorney general and his team’s commitment to bringing justice to the community, and I support all efforts that empower individuals to build a better future for themselves and their families,” said Alecia Webb-Edgington, president and CEO of Life Learning Center.
The attorney general’s office said half of the settlement funds will be distributed among Kentucky’s cities and counties “according to a pre-determined formula.” The Kentucky Opioid Abatement Advisory Commission, led by executive director Chris Evans, will receive the other half.
Coleman recognized Deputy Attorney General Rob Duncan, Civil Chief Justin Clark and Division Chief for Consumer and Senior Protection Chris Lewis for representing the Commonwealth.
“These settlement dollars will have a massive impact on Kentucky,” Coleman said. “I want to recognize the people who are the driving force behind bringing them here. Thank you for the late nights away from your families, long weekends and many months you’ve dedicated to this case. Our Commonwealth could not have asked for better representation.”
“These are three people who are from areas of our Commonwealth, particularly hit hard by the drug crisis; they care deeply about the issue and those affected.”
According to the most recent Kentucky Drug Overdose Fatality Report, 1,984 Kentuckians died from a drug overdose in 2023, a 9.8% decrease from 2022.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
-
